1 dead, 2 injured after Fort Worth police chase ends in crash
FORT WORTH, Texas - A woman is dead and two people were taken to a hospital in critical condition after a Fort Worth police chase ended in a crash.
Police say they tried to stop the driver of a reported stolen truck. The driver sped off, eventually crashing into a pole. All three people inside were ejected.
During the crash, another car was also struck.
The chase didn’t last very long, but police say it did reach high speeds.
Police say the three people ejected all were inside the stolen truck that sparked the pursuit.
Wednesday afternoon, white spray paint marks the spot where a stolen pickup truck came to a halt during a deadly crash.
Fort Worth police say a pursuit involving a stolen truck killed one person and sent two other people to the hospital.
Just after 1 p.m., a Flock camera in South Fort Worth alerted officers about a stolen Ford crew cab pickup in the area.
Police say the driver of the truck refused to stop for officers, initiating a high-speed chase, which crossed Altamesa Blvd and Will Rogers Boulevard.
"As the vehicle traveled eastbound on Altamesa here, it struck another uninvolved vehicle and rolled several times, ejecting the occupants," Fort Worth Police Sgt. Jason Spencer.
Three people from inside the stolen truck were ejected.
Police say a woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people were critically injured.
According to Fort Worth police, as the truck was rolling over, it struck the front of a car that was passing through the intersection.
The front fenders and hood of that Toyota sedan were ripped off, but the innocent driver of the car was not injured and was able to walk away from the scene.
Fort Worth police say Flock cameras that scan license plates and check them against a crime database continue to help them as a tool to track down offenders.
When a vehicle is reported stolen, the license plate is then entered into the system. If the plate passes by a Flock camera, it will notify an officer in the area.
"It makes it a lot more likely we will locate the vehicle and recover it," Spencer said.
Spencer spoke about the dangers and tradeoffs during pursuits of suspects.
"There is a constant balancing act and a judgement call that has to be made on the risk of the pursuit versus the necessity to pursue and apprehend any offenders, which is what our community expects us to do," he explained.
Police are only giving preliminary information on the stolen truck, saying the truck is not from Fort Worth but another city. Investigators didn’t say which city.